Palestinian women change motor racing up a gear

By Catriona Davies, CNN

Updated 10:09 AM ET, Thu January 24, 2013

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

The Palestinian Speed Sisters – Noor Daoud, 23, in her BMW. Daoud is about to compete in a professional drift race in the United Arab Emirates, which she hopes will be the start of a top-flight international career.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

The Speed Sisters say many people have no idea they are women until they take their helmets off. These are (from left): Betty Saadeh, Noor Douad, Marah Sahalka and Muna Ennab.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

Marah Zahalka taking a turn during a race in Bethlehem. Palestinian street car races, held at makeshift venues such as airfields, often attract 1,000 spectators.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

Muna Ennab watches a race in Ramallah. Her t-shirt refers to drift racing, a driving technique in which the driver deliberately oversteers and the rear wheels skid.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

Marah Zahalka (left) and Noor Daoud, the two youngest Speed Sisters, both in their early 20s, are close friends and fierce competitors.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

Betty Saadeh, from Bethlehem, joined the Speed Sisters in 2010 and was the fastest woman on the Palestinian circuit in 2011. Both her father and brother also race cars.

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Photos:Speed Sisters of the West Bank

Marah Zahalka with her father Khaled, who has supported her career. Some of the Speed Sisters have received encouragement from their families, while others have had to persuade them of their choice.

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Story highlights

Speed Sisters became first all-female Palestinian motor racing team in 2009

At 23, Noor Daoud is first Arab woman to race on the international circuit in Dubai, Japan and Poland

Maysoon Jayyusi serves on FIA's Women in Motorsport Commission

On the starting line of the Emirates Motorplex on Thursday (Jan 24) will be professional drift racing, one of the most dangerous disciplines in motorsport.

And amid the petrol fumes and testosterone will be a 23-year-old Palestinian woman, Noor Daoud.

Daoud, who had previously been invited to compete in a Formula 3 - a different discipline of motor racing - race in Israel, is the first Arab woman to compete on the international motorsport circuit.

She has spent two months in the United Arab Emirates training for the Drift UAE race on January 24, and will then go on to other international races in Japan and Poland.

Drifting is a driving technique, born in Japan, in which the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the rear wheels to skid, while maintaining control of the car.

"It's a big race and all the international people will be there. I'm the first Arab girl to race in it, so it's huge for me," said Daoud.

"I really want to make this my career. I'm really serious about it.

"I just want to show the world what I can do. I'm not only doing this for myself, I'm doing it for my country. I want to show that Palestinian people can make it."

Daoud has previously competed at a world-class level in swimming, tennis and soccer and also loves boxing and motorcross. She says motor racing has become her favorite sport since joining an all-female Palestinian motor racing team, Speed Sisters.

Maysoon Jayyusi, formerly a Speed Sister herself, now manages the team and is the Palestinian representative on the FIA's Women in Motorsport Commission.

Jayyusi, 36, first got into motor racing because a colleague at the United Nations, who was also head of the Palestinian Motorsport Federation, suggested she try racing after seeing her driving home from work.

"It's exciting for us, especially as women; we want to improve ourselves and show that we can achieve what we like," said Jayyusi.

"We want to challenge the ideas that women can only work in the kitchen and that Palestinian people can't live normal lives."

When Jayyusi took up the sport, she was so worried about telling her parents about her new hobby that they only found out when she started to appear in newspaper articles.

"They are a traditional Arab family and don't encourage women to participate in sport," she said. "They accept it now because they know we are strong."

The Speed Sisters core team also includes Betty Saadeh, 31, from Bethlehem, Marah Zahalka, 21, from Jenin, and Muna Ennab, from Ramallah.

In 2011, the team was invited to Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix, for training.

But the quest for success is still a struggle for the Speed Sisters.

Jayyusi said they don't have a regular training ground, must scramble to find enough money to compete and cannot take their cars abroad because of travel restrictions.

"This year I have a new agenda that we want to make connections with motorsports in other countries and arrange exchanges," said Jayyusi.

Fares, who is of Lebanese heritage, decided to make a film about the Speed Sisters while living in the West Bank because she wanted to show Arab women in a way not often seen in Western media.

"Women racing cars is pretty much the last thing you would expect to happen in Palestine.

"They are amazing girls and their stories resonate with people. When people hear about their story, they find them inspirational."